Fredrikstad
Norway · Østfold · 10 m
Description
Fredrikstad has the best preserved fortress town in northern Europe and almost nobody outside Norway knows it. Gamlebyen was laid out in 1663 behind earth ramparts and a water filled moat after the Swedes burned the old town, and it is still a working quarter of cobbled streets, garrison buildings and low wooden houses rather than a museum. A free city ferry crosses the Glomma every few minutes and connects it to the modern centre. Kongsten Fort sits on the hill behind it, and out where the river reaches the sea the Hvaler archipelago begins, a thousand islands of bare rounded granite.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Gamlebyen fortress town and its ramparts
- Free city ferry across the Glomma
- Moat and the earth bastions of 1663
- Kongsten Fort on the hill behind
- Cobbled lanes and the garrison buildings
- Fredrikstad Museum in the old prison
- Isegran island and its boatyards
- Glass and ceramic workshops of Gamlebyen
- Drawbridge and the old town gate
- Riverside cafes along the Glomma
- Hvaler archipelago and Ytre Hvaler National Park(Day trip)
- Oldtidsveien and its bronze age rock carvings(Day trip)
Getting there
- Train stations:
- Fredrikstad
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry